Gas pressure sensor with temperature compensation

• US 7,739,916 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2009
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Precision Mechatronics Pty Ltd
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Mallinson, Samuel George
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Andre J
• Application Number:
  US12/423,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20090193902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 737/14, 737/24, 737/15, 737/18, 737/56, 361/283.1
• US Class Current: 73/724
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 13/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring differences of two or more fluid pressure values
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 17/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring tyre pressure or the pressure in other inflated bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/04 Means for compensating for effects of changes of temperature , i.e. other than electric compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0072 using variations in capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0073 using a semiconductive diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0075 using a ceramic diaphragm, e.g. alumina, fused quartz, glass
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/125 with temperature compensating means non electric temperature compensating means G01L19/04

Abstract

A pressure sensor for sensing a fluid pressure comprising: a first chamber including a first conductive membrane, wherein a fluid is sealed within the first chamber at a reference pressure such that the first conductive membrane deflects from pressure differences between the reference and the fluid pressure; a second chamber including a second conductive membrane sealed from the fluid pressure, wherein the second membrane deflects in response to a change in temperature which the pressure sensor is exposed thereto; and a circuit in electrical communication with the first and second conductive membrane, the circuit being configured to obtain a first and second signal from the first and second conductive membranes respectively, the first and second signals being indicative of the deflection of the first and second conductive membranes, wherein the circuit adjusts the first signal by the second signal to generate an output signal indicative of the fluid pressure.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor for sensing a fluid pressure, the pressure sensor comprising:

a wafer substrate;

a first conductive membrane supported on the wafer substrate and configured for deflection in response to pressure differences between fluid at a reference pressure and fluid at a fluid pressure to be sensed;

a second conductive membrane supported on the wafer substrate and configured for deflection in response to a change in temperature which the pressure sensor is exposed thereto; and

a circuit in electrical communication with the first and second conductive membranes, wherein the circuit is configured to obtain a first signal and second signal from the first and second conductive membranes respectively, the first and second signals being indicative of the deflection of the first and second conductive membranes, wherein the circuit adjusts the first signal by the second signal to generate an output signal indicative of the fluid pressure.

2. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first conductive membrane and the second conductive membrane is a laminate structure.

3. The pressure sensor according to claim 2, wherein each laminate structure has layers formed from the deposition of different metal ceramics.

4. The pressure sensor according to claim 3, wherein the metal ceramics are metal nitrides or mixed metal nitrides.

5. The pressure according to claim 3, wherein the metal ceramics are titanium nitride, titanium aluminium nitride, tantalum silicon nitride, titanium aluminium silicon nitride, tantalum aluminium silicon nitride.

6. A pressure sensor according to claim 3, wherein one or more of the layers of the laminate is metal.

7. A pressure sensor according to claim 6 wherein the metal is titanium, tantalum or vanadium.

8. A pressure sensor according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second conductive membranes is less than 0.1 grams.

9. A pressure sensor according to claim 1 wherein the pressure sensor is adapted to sense the air pressure within a pneumatic tire.

10. A pressure sensor according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the membranes is non-planar.

11. A pressure sensor according to claim 10 wherein at least one of the membranes is corrugated.

12. A pressure sensor according to claim 11 wherein, the membrane corrugations have a period of between 5 microns and 15 microns.

13. A pressure sensor according to claim 1 wherein, at least one of the membranes is substantially circular and the corrugations are annular.

14. A pressure sensor according to claim 10 wherein the corrugations have a substantially square-shaped cross-sectional profile.

15. A pressure sensor according to claim 14 wherein at least one of the flexible corrugated membranes has a corrugation factor of 8.

16. A pressure sensor according to claim 15 wherein the sensor has a linear response up to about 1 MPa.

17. A pressure sensor according to claim 1 wherein the sensor is powered by a long-life battery.

18. A pressure sensor according to claim 1 wherein the sensor is powered by radio waves transmitted from a remote source.

19. A pressure sensor according to claim 1 wherein the sensor is a capacitative sensor having:

a conductive layer supported on the wafer substrate to form a first capacitor electrode; and

,

the first conductive membrane forms a second capacitor electrode;

such that,

deflection of the first conductive membrane changes the capacitance which the circuit uses to generate the output signal;

wherein,

the conductive layer is arranged such that deflection of the first conductive membrane towards the conductive layer can displace the fluid from between the first conductive membrane and the conductive layer.